Introduction to Cinema 180

One of four Danish Cinema 180 installations. Installed in early 1980s at Dyrehavsbakken, north of Copenhagen (DK). Picture by Thomas Hauerslev

If you browse through the history of the various large image "Scopes", "Ramas" and "Visions" cinematic processes, certainly "Cinema 180" would seem to be the obvious candidate for being the most fun of them all. Cinema 180 was a direct extension of Cinerama (1952) and Todd-AO (1955), both large format projection systems, both of which pioneered audience participation, and gave the spectators an authentic "you are there" illusion.

• Go to in70mm.com's Todd-AO Page
• Go to in70mm.com's Cinerama page

Pronounced "Cinema One-Eighty", the process was the most honest "First Person" thrill-ride you could imagine on 70mm film. Roller coasters, fire trucks, speed boats, motorcycles and airplanes: mount a 65mm camera very low and in the front, and then go as fast as you can. Fly through deep narrow canyons, speed through narrow streets, ride trains on high mountain rails, or drive on an expressway at high speed. Photograph it with short focal lenses, to exaggerate the speed and perspective, and the illusion of reality will put the audience "in the picture".

Cinema 180 ride films were shown in 70mm on the inside of a huge 180 degree screen domed structure. There was typically no seating in most cinemas, the audience would be standing in front of the screen. The screen went from side to side, and all the way up from the floor to the top of the dome. Cinema 180 cinemas were typically installed at:

• Amusement parks, Theme and Recreation Parks
• World's Fairs and Expositions
• Trade Shows, Museums, Planetariums, Shopping Malls

With a running time of only about 10-13 minutes for each film, it was enough to give the audience an impressive immersive "right in the gut" experience, which often challenged their balance and orientation. Here in Copenhagen (and elsewhere) it was not uncommon to see people fall during performances. They might have enjoyed a bit too much to drink in Copenhagen's Tivoli Gardens or at Dyrehavsbakken, and could easily become overwhelmed by the large image and loose their balance. They simply became dizzy from the spectacular action on the domed screen. It was a very popular and entertaining cinema experience throughout the late '70s and through the '80s. The characteristic and colourful "tent" attractions were installed all over the world. Cinema 180 was installed in the North- and South America, the Far East, the Middle East, Europe and Australia / New Zealand. At the peak, some 175 theatres operated around the world. They were cost effective, easy to maintain and mobile so they could go where the crowds were. This is how the company presented itself:

"OMNI Films International, Inc. designs, sells and installs 70MM wide-screen cinema and motion simulation theater systems to independent exhibitors. The systems are used in amusement and theme parks and other specialized markets. In addition, Omni Films International Inc produces and licenses films for use in their systems to companies worldwide on a continual basis."

• Go to Cinema 180 in Denmark
• Go to Films in Cinema 180
 

70mm frame - note the curvature of the image in the frame ("Pincushion" or "Barrel distortion", to photographers). The result of photography with a very short focal length lens.

The 70mm projector was projecting upwards at an angle of about 30 degrees. I have seen projectors of many brands being used for Cinema 180: Ballantyne, Prevost, Victoria 8 and a Philips DP75. The projection lens was typically an ISCO Ultra MC Special 21mm with a huge front element about the size of a dinner plate. The projection "port hole" between the dome cinema and the projection room was a huge panorama window sitting as close as possible to the machine. With the 21mm ISCO lens, the projected image, filled the entire window. Cinema 180 is still remembered as a fun ride / attraction by many who saw it. Helen Dolling wrote on Facebook in 2010:

"Cinema 180 was the best fun ever! I remember laughing like a child while being unable to stand up. The rollercoaster film was so much better than the real things. I was there with a bunch of 13 year old students who didn't understand why I was so insistent that they had to come and experience the inside of a dome, but then they loved it too."

Fred Hollingsworth III (Jan 15, 1930 - Mar 18, 2018) was the president and founder of Omnivision, Inc. (in Florida, USA), and is considered to be the father of film-based attractions. He was an internationally-known creator and manufacturer of Cinema 180, Motion Master, Omnivision, Magnavision and ESI-3D. He pioneered the design and manufacture of entertainment attractions for nearly four decades. He was the pioneer in recognizing the revolutionary entertainment potential of 70mm film. He literally invented amusement park theatres and designed the Cinema 180 attraction in 1974. It was called Cinema 180 because it was 70mm film projected onto a 180 degree dome screen. Cinema 180 was the first kind of theatre to exist almost specifically for amusement parks. He put the audience in the middle of the imagery and surrounded them in the film experience.

In 1987 Fred introduced Motion Master theatre seats that moved in sync with the action on the screen. Cinema 180 and Motion Master were ground-breaking techniques, and a big hit with the audience. Fred Hollingsworth III also pioneered the use of the 8/70mm format for his Dimension360 and MagnaVision 70mm theatres. He even had a 70mm 3D system developed which he called ESI-3S.
 

Two original MCS-70 65mm cameras of West German origin were purchased by Omnivision Inc. and used to photograph Cinema 180. Picture by Scott Shepley

This is how Omni Films presented the synopsis:

Take an excursion to the threshold of fear on the "Thunder Bolt" roller coaster. Whirl through the "Mind Bender" roller coaster with an 80 foot dive, triple loop and two vertical somersaults. Finesse your way through flying Dutch rolls and "shoot the bowl" with a world champion skateboarder. Your stunt car explodes off a tunnel ramp. A high pitched siren pierces your senses. Suddenly a long red hook and ladder rushing to a fire streaks past. You're hanging on for dear life as you swing around sharp corners. Anxiety mounts as a woman, pushing a baby carriage, steps into the path of the oncoming fire truck. "Hang Ten" on a high crest off Waikiki Beach. Marvel at steep, volcanic canyons covered with lush green tropical foliage in Kauai, Hawaii. Swing to and fro on an ornate Viking vessel. Big Ben rises commanding-ly as you clutch the handle of a London taxi during rush hour. A skilled driver shifts his purring Porsche into the fast lane. Overtaking all competition, he whirls through narrow hairpin turns to a screeching halt.

Omnivision also licensed the use of 65mm footage to other productions. "Brainstorm" (MGM 1983) produced and directed by Douglas Trumbull, features eleven point of view scenes from Omni Films movie library including the "Loch Ness Monster", roller coaster, Lake Placid bobsled run, snowmobiling in Utah, Grand Canyon, Golden Gate Bridge, surfboarding, and a runaway tractor trailer. Some "Brainstorm" scenes is photographed with an OmniVision fish-eye lens (designed by Milt Laikin), almost similar to the Cinerama Fairchild-Curtis 160-degree ƒ2 ultra wide-angle lens, which was also used for many wide angle shots on Stanley Kubrick's "2OO1: A Space Odyssey" (MGM 1968).

The beauty of vintage Cinema 180 titles is the fact that everything is real, and photographed on 65mm FILM, unlike present days thrill-rides, which are often 100% computer generated images. The difference is staggering. It is nice to see the world as it looked at the time when the films were produced. From the Omnivision brochure:

No other film format offers the opportunity to deliver such massive amounts of visual information with so much sharpness, color saturation and brightness.

Omnivision, Inc. and its subsidiary Omni Films International, Inc. were operational from 1976 until 1994, and operated as a full service 70mm film company, with complete production facilities. Omni Films was recognized worldwide for its award-winning technological achievements. Omni Films' five and eight perforation 70mm formats expanded the traditional film image to totally encompass and involve audiences, creating the sensation that they are actually part of the action. An Omni Films "You Are There" theater experience enthralled audiences, guaranteeing positive recommendations and repeat visits.

During the '80 and early '90s competition became intense between large format players and ride-film attractions. The main competitors were iWERKS, Showscan, IMAX and SimEx, and in May 1993, Variety announced that Showscan and Omni Films had signed a merger agreement "in hopes that the synergies of their technologies will boost profitability". However, in 1994, iWERKS Entertainment, Inc., of Burbank, California purchased Omni Films, in a $17-million deal.
 

Fred Hollingsworth III, President and Founder of Omni Films International, Inc.  Picture from Omni Film's presentation folder

In Germany Cinema 180 films were also produced under the name Cinevision / Cinema 2000 by Udo Kaup (1942). In an e-mail to the editor in February 2021, his son Marcel Kaup writes:

"Most films were shot in 35mm and "blown up" to 70mm. The last film production in 1994 in Florida („Magic Florida“) was shot with an original Panavision 65mm camera. The market for Cinema 180 dome cinemas had already died off in the 1980s. Then there was another slight upswing due to the opening of the GDR (Former East Germany, Ed). My father operated three dome cinemas from 1990 to 1997 in East Germany and Poland. One of the last stationary Cinema 180s we supplied with 70mm films and wide-angle lenses was Luna Park in Tel Aviv. But this cinema also closed down in 2012."

The last known operational cinema of this kind was apparently the Cinema 180 at Rainbow's End in Auckland Theme Park (New Zealand), which closed in 2015. It had opened in 1983, and after 32 years of operation, the entire installation, including the Philips DP75 projector, was sold to enthusiasts on eBay.

Fred Hollingsworth III passed away three years later at the age of 88, on Sunday, March 18, 2018 at Doctors Hospital in Sarasota, Florida. From legacy.com (edited):

Fred III was born to Frances Keppler and Fred Hollingsworth, Jr. in Grand Rapids, Michigan, January 15, 1930. The beginning of Fred's fascinating and rewarding life began at age 7 when his father took him to the 1937 National Association of Amusement Parks, Pools & Beaches (NAAPPB) convention, where his love of the amusement industry began. In 1972 NAAPPB became the International Association of Amusement Parks & Attractions (IAAPA). Fred grew up in the carnival business and was first known as a successful ride operator and manufacturer through a series of his companies, which included Holly Bros., Fun Rides and ADCO which manufactured Fun Houses, Glass Houses, Flying Bobs and Dark Rides (Olivia Newton-John & John Travolta rode in one of Fred's dark rides in the movie "Grease").

Fred III was inducted into the IAAPA Hall of Fame (International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions) in November 2015. Fred's motto was "Build to last, attract and entertain."

The legacy of Fred Hollingsworth III still lives in the memory of the audiences who saw the films. Old faded 70mm prints still surfaces on eBay from time to time when they change hands between collectors here and there. Sometimes vintage Cinema 180 films are shown at 70mm festivals in Karlsruhe (Germany) and Krnov (Czech Republic) as a welcome surprise. Only this time - the audience is sitting down in comfortable chairs, and will not fall over.

• Go to PDF: iWERKS / Cinema 180 theatre list (1996)
 

Cinema 180 Product information

Complete Documentation

Production Facilities